Nigerians in Canada Speak on their First Culture Shocks

Photo from Guillaume Jaillet on Unsplash 

Welcome to Limitless! 

Yayyy! I’m excited for this one. A huge thank you to everyone that contributed to this. I really appreciate it! 

Here’s what some Nigerians in Canada experienced as their first culture shocks. 

1. A.M- Air. 

This one is a shocker because this person is Canadian, but I’m guessing she is talking about the poor air quality we had last summer. The air was smokey and humid as a result of wild fires; that wasn’t fun. This probably came as a shock to her having lived in Canada her whole life. 

2. F.O- People find it disrespectful when you say sir or ma.

😂😂😂. I was shocked too o. Let me even gist you guys. That’s how one day, my new coworker who just migrated from a non-African country kept on calling my business owner “Sir” or would put Mr. in front of his name. It was so awkward. But, I understood where she was coming from. The owner had to tell her that his name is just his name and there was no need for the extra Sir or Mr. 

3. S.K- Milk in Bags.

😭😂This one! Why would milk be in bagsss??? The most annoying thing about them is that they go bad quickly. And I can’t even drink expired milk, my digestive system would pay for it😭. That is extra annoying. 

4. T.O- Paying rent every month.

Bruhhhhh! I was dazed. I can imagine having to pay yearly for the exorbitant amount we pay as rent, that would be a huge financial deal. 

5. P.L- My first culture shock was the weather, Winter, and always wearing jacket. 

Rightttt. I wrote in a blogpost, “Quarantine”, about my first experience with the cold. The cold literally slapped my face when I came out of the airport. It felt so foreign; no cold had ever been colder, so it was a shocker! We only get to dress without jackets three months of the year. Yayyy🤣. 

6. N.O- One of my culture shocks was having to call professors, managers, supervisors by their names. 

I feel you. This is one thing I had to unlearn, and I’m sure most Nigerians had to unlearn it too. 

7. E.O

- 8pm, and it’s bright outside.
- seeing so many kids smoking and vaping.
- I also think that’s when I realized we say sorry too much in Nigeria. Someone would trip, I would say sorry, and they’ll be like “why are you saying sorry, you didn’t do anything”. 
- What is considered regular clothes and makeup for high school kids. 
- White old people wanting to touch my hair, and thinking my hair was that long. 

For real! I have a lot to say in response to this. I’m sure you would have experienced at least one of this if you’re a Nigerian in Canada. A stranger once ‘stylishly’ touched my nephew’s hair, and I was appalled! The person didn’t even ask for permission. Keep your hands to yourself. 

The funny thing is my mouth still slips and says sorry sometimes. I see that when that kind of situation happens, they’d rather say “are you okay?”. Lol, i’m clearly not okay, but thanks. Sorry is just a word to show empathy, and I still don’t get why it’s not a thing here. I guess that’s why it’s a culture shock! 

8. T.F

- My first culture shock was how friendly people are. When I first arrived in Canada, I went for my school’s orientation the next day, and people were just talking to me like they knew me from somewhere. This is normal behavior, but just in Nigeria, everyone would mind their business until the coordinator of the orientation comes to talk. I was just on my own because that was what I expected but people were talking to me. So, my first cultural shock was how people start conversations.

- People were calling a whole Associate Dean of a department by name. She was also friendly. People in higher positions of power are very relatable and friendly. She knew I was just coming from Nigeria, so she came to hug me and asked how my journey went. If it was in Nigeria, I won’t even see the Dean to personally come and welcome me. 

Wow! The professors here are actually down to earth and easily accessible. 

To comment on your first point, I always find it amusing when people I do not know at all start telling me their whole life story in a random place. Like why? I think people talk freely here, most aren’t really worried about evil people that can take advantage of your words or stories and things like that. Some also trivialize the need to keep some things private. Very different from what I was used to. 

~

Thank you so much for reading guys! Did you enjoy reading? Please drop a comment! Till we meet again🤍.